a 14th-century Friar’s Logic Tool Slices Modern Complexity, David Hume's Radical Rethinking of Personal Identity, Model T’s Real revolution: Workers as Machines

Everyone knows the Model T was the car that put the world on wheels. But what’s often overlooked is that it also reengineered human labor. Behind the scenes of Ford’s “affordable car for the masses” was a bold, mechanical choreography that didn’t just reshape manufacturing—it forever altering how we work.

Before the Model T, cars were handcrafted by skilled mechanics, each one a bespoke piece. That changed in 1913 when Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line at the Highland Park Plant. Inspired by conveyor belts used in other industries, Ford dissected car-building into standardized, repetitive steps. Each worker would focus on one narrow task—tightening bolts, fitting axles, painting fenders. The car came to them, not the other way around.

Efficiency came at a human cost. Workers, bored and overworked by the monotony, began leaving Ford Motor Company for competitors. In response, Ford introduced the $5 workday, more than doubling the average wage. This move attracted mechanics nationwide to Detroit, reducing turnover and increasing productivity. The assembly line model spread far beyond auto plants—into factories, offices, and eventually, fast-food kitchens.

It wasn’t just manufacturing that became modular; work itself did. The Model T didn’t just democratize transportation—it bureaucratized labor. Today’s workplace—from call centers to Amazon warehouses—still echoes the Model T’s legacy. Even as machines become smarter and tasks more digital, the ghost of Ford’s assembly line lingers in algorithms that script workflows and optimize output. Ironically, it’s now humans adapting to machines, not the other way around.

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